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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

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MSI teases Killer NIC integration in Big Bang motherboards

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 10:13 AM PST

You won't be coloring us surprised here -- when we spoke with Bigfoot Networks CEO Michael Howse back at Computex, he didn't hesitate to disclose his interest in embedding Bigfoot's networking technology into motherboards and GPUs of the future. And now, it seems that the future has arrived. Based on a sneaky, nondescript release posted after the break, it looks as if Bigfoot and MSI will be hooking up at CES next week to introduce a newfangled version of the Big Bang motherboard. The announcement doesn't come right out and say it, but considering that at least one MSI motherboard will be "blazing with Killer 2100 performance," we'd say it's fair to read between the lines. Howse is also quoted as saying that he's "pleased to be working with MSI," and up until now, there's been no public partnership between the two firms. According to him, the Killer 2100 gaming network card "is a perfect complement to the MSI Big Bang family of mainboard solutions," and you can bet we'll be on the hunt for a model name, price and release date just as soon as we hit Vegas.
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MSI Motherboards Blaze with Killer™ 2100 Performance In MSI Technology Showcase AT CES 2011

MSI to debut and demo next-generation platforms at Press Conference, immediately following CES Unveiled

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. - December 27, 2010 - MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, will be holding a Press Conference and Technology Showcase event immediately following CES Unveiled on January 4th at Bellini 2006 in The Venetian.

During this conference, press can enjoy appetizers and refreshments while experiencing debut demonstrations of MSI's next-generation notebooks, all-in-one PCs, motherboards and graphics cards, aimed at extending its award-winning streak and top quality product offerings.

Key gaming-focused attractions of this event include:
· MSI representatives will present on new computing and PC gaming solutions
· Bigfoot Networks executives will be on hand to offer their expertise on superior network performance
· Press can see for themselves the benefits a Killer™ 2100 gaming network card can offer as an upgrade to even an industry-leading motherboar

MSI will also be giving away Bigfoot Networks Killer™ 2100 cards within its prize drawings at the annual MSI Master Overclocking Arena (MOA) Overclockers event, taking place on January 6th during CES. Additionally, MSI and Bigfoot Networks will pursue a variety of joint marketing programs in 2011 with leading online and retail outlets.

"We are pleased to be working with MSI," said Michael Howse, CEO of Bigfoot Networks. "The Killer™ 2100 gaming network card is a perfect complement to the MSI Big Bang family of mainboard solutions that will give gamers a competitive edge in online play."

Andy Tung, VP of MSI USA says "MSI mainboards with Military Class components provide a great backbone for any gaming system and the Killer™ 2100 network card is a way to improve performance and get one step ahead of the competition."

For more information about MOA 2011, visit http://www.msi-moa.com/AM-2011/

Samsung's phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 09:51 AM PST

Yes, CES 2011 will be graced by the presence of Samsung's new 4-inch Galaxy Player, but our pockets, it would seem, might have to wait for it quite a bit longer. The Wall Street Journal today reports that, while Samsung intends to roll out the new Android PMP in its home market of Korea shortly after CES next week, the rest of the world is unlikely to be able to buy it until "the April to June period." Aside from its lack of phone functionality and a Super AMOLED panel, the new Galaxy Player is an almost identical replica of the company's wildly successful Galaxy S smartphone, which apparently has been no accident. The WSJ also lets us in on the knowledge that Samsung's phone division has taken over responsibility for building and selling its portable media player range, hence why we're now seeing such major overlaps between the two categories -- something that might very well continue into the future.

European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 09:28 AM PST

It's been more than a year since Nokia, Apple, RIM, Motorola and just about every other major cellphone manufacturer agreed on a micro-USB cellphone charger standard for Europe, but the two key European standards bodies have just now finally followed up on their end of the bargain. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have today published harmonized standards for a universal cellphone charger based on micro-USB, which has now put the ball back in the manufacturers' court to actually produce phones that rely on the newly standardized chargers. According to the European Commission, the first of those are expect to arrive sometime "in the first months of 2011," and it expects the chargers to be "predominant" within two years. Head on past the break for the official announcement.

[Thanks, Pavel]
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Commission welcomes new EU standards for common mobile phone charger

Following a mandate from the European Commission, the European Standardisation Bodies CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have now made available the harmonised standards needed for the manufacture of data-enabled mobile phones compatible with a new common charger. This is the most recent development in the process towards a global common mobile phone charger initiated by the European Commission. It follows the June 2009 agreement of fourteen leading mobile phone producers to harmonise chargers for data-enabled mobile phones (i.e. that can be connected to a computer) sold in the European Union.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "I am very happy that the European Standardisation Bodies have met our request to develop within a short space of time the technical standards necessary for a common mobile phone charger based on the work done by industry. Now it is time for industry to show its commitment to sell mobile phones for the new charger. The common charger will make life easier for consumers, reduce waste and benefit businesses. It is a true win-win situation."

Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is not only a major inconvenience for users, but also a considerable environmental problem. Users who want to change their mobile phones must usually acquire a new charger and dispose of the old one, even if it is in good condition. In response to citizens' demand for a common charger, the Commission invited manufacturers to agree on a technical solution making compatible the chargers of different brands.

As a result, world leading mobile phone producers committed themselves to ensure compatibility of data-enabled mobile phones, expected to be predominant in the market within two years, on the basis of the Micro-USB connector. The agreement was established in June 2009 and signed by Apple, Emblaze Mobile, Huawei Technologies, LGE, Motorola Mobility, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, TCT Mobile (ALCATEL), Texas Instruments and Atmel (IP/09/1049).

The Commission then issued a mandate to the European Standardisation Organisations CEN-CENELEC and ETSI in December 2009, requesting the development of European standards for the common charger. The two organisations have now delivered. The standards allow for interoperability, i.e. the common charger is compatible with data-enabled mobile telephones of different brands. They also take account of safety risks and electro-magnetic emissions and ensure that common chargers have sufficient immunity to external interference.

The European Commission expects the first common chargers and mobile phones compatible with the new standards to reach the European market in the first months of 2011.

Huawei's HIC tablet for Vodafone has all the beauty of an industrial-grade nav unit

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 09:05 AM PST

Considering the cheap plastics and giant white logos, our first thought when we saw this unflattering shot in the FCC's filing system was that we were looking at some sort of connected navigation unit for delivery trucks -- but alas, as far as we can tell, the so-called HIC is a "tablet" from Huawei that doubles as a phone for Vodafone. Besides a triband 3G radio, this hot mess gets you a 7-inch WVGA display, a front-facing camera for video calls, and an integrated kickstand around back for setting it on a countertop. The style of the power adapter leads us to believe that the HIC might be intended for permanent use in your home, which would explain why it bears so little resemblance with something we'd want to carry around -- but still, couldn't they have made it a little prettier? No word on when (or to which of Vodafone's markets) it'll be coming.

Nissan Leaf gets the 'family' review treatment, earns high marks

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 08:42 AM PST

The writers over at Busy Mommy Media have run the Nissan Leaf through a special battery of 'family' tests to produce the kind of review of the EV that we don't see every day around here. Still, the family perspective is an especially interesting one for the electric vehicle, since widespread adoption will largely depend on how it fares in just such lifestyles. So how did the Leaf fare? Exceedingly well, it turns out, getting high marks for performance, cargo space, and interior space. The only problem raised was the fact that the reviewer could not fit all three of her required car seats into the back seat, but was able to change them out for slimmer models which did, in fact, fit. Check out the video after the break for the full mommy (and daddy) treatment.

iPad magazine sales numbers show steep decline over a few short months

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 08:21 AM PST

Uh oh. Since its debut, the iPad has been variously hailed as the final nail in the coffin of all physical media and the savior of the magazine and newspaper industries. A few magazines, such as Wired, had truly impressive digital launches, with over 100,000 downloads of its first issue in June. It doesn't seem, however, that the stellar start was in any way sustainable. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which collects magazine circulation data from companies willing to furnish numbers, all iPad magazines have seen fall offs in downloads over the past few months. Wired was averaging 31,000 downloads from July through September, had 22,000 and 23,000 respectively in October and November. Other magazines have seen similar declines: Vanity Fair sold 8,700 downloads of its November issue, down from an average of about 10,500 from August through October; GQ sold 11,000 copies, its worst showing yet. Now, not all magazines release their numbers, of course -- including The New Yorker, People, and Esquire -- but the numbers we do have seem to be indicating a trend of general decline after a short burst of excitement.

3D is dangerous / not dangerous: Nintendo 3DS warning label edition

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 08:01 AM PST

Oh boy -- get ready for years of competing studies and hysterical news reports claiming that 3D is either life-threateningly dangerous or perfectly safe. (Cellphone radiation, take a backseat.) Today's delightful round of panic comes courtesy of Nintendo's Japanese warning guidelines for the 3DS: players are advised that 3D gameplay causes eye fatigue more quickly than 2D gaming and are told to take a break after 30 minutes of play -- and you should quit immediately if you get ill, which makes sense. Nintendo also says that children under six shouldn't use the 3D mode at all, since their eyes are still developing, and that parents can use controls built into the 3DS to lock it into 2D mode for children.

That's definitely enough to trigger some crazy news reports, and we're sure you've seen a couple today already. But truth be told, this exact same story made the circuit about six months ago, when Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with a number of media outlets during the 3DS launch and said that children under seven shouldn't watch 3D, calling the rule a "standard protocol" in the industry. Here's the full quote that Kotaku ran in June, for example:
"We will recommend that very young children not look at 3D images," [Reggie] said. "That's because, [in] young children, the muscles for the eyes are not fully formed... This is the same messaging that the industry is putting out with 3D movies, so it is a standard protocol. We have the same type of messaging for the [1990s Nintendo virtual reality machine] Virtual Boy, as an example."
Yep, pretty much the same thing -- the only real news today is that Nintendo's age cutoff went from seven to six, which is actually good news. That's not to say there aren't any concerns about 3D damaging vision, however: the biggest worry seems to be that "tricking" your eyes into seeing fake 3D for hours on end at home will cause you to "forget" how to see in proper 3D the rest of the time. That definitely sounds alarming, but unfortunately there just doesn't seem to be any real testing on the subject using modern 3D technology -- but we'd bet a huge wave of research will arrive now that 3D TVs and devices like the 3DS have kicked up consumer awareness. We'll obviously keep an eye out for that research and keep asking questions about 3D's health effects, but in the meantime we're guessing the smart course of action is to treat 3D like any other fine vice: dose yourself in moderation and keep it away from kids until their parents say it's okay. Cool? Cool.

Zephyr solar-powered UAV breaks three more world records

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 07:40 AM PST

The Zephyr is a winning machine. Last we reported, QinetiQ's solar-powered drone had just completed 7-days in the air, and counting. Now, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) has confirmed that Zephyr completed that record-breaking flight with a solid 2-weeks in the air (336 hours). If that wasn't enough to put other drones to shame, FAI found that Zephyr also destroyed records for flight duration for a UAV of its class, and the altitude record for that class at 21,562 meters, or 70,741 feet. So keep the records coming, Zephyr, because everyone loves a winner, even when that winner is a unmanned war machine.

Skype outage post-mortem puts some blame on the elder Windows clients

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 07:18 AM PST

If you wish to raise your fist in the air and curse anyone for the massive global Skype outage, direct your anger towards 5.0.0.152. That's the Skype for Windows version that crashed when a December 22nd cluster of support servers responsible for offline messaging became overloaded. While that's the only version affected -- the latest 5.0.0.156 and 4.0 versions were fine, as were the clients for every other platform you can think of -- the number of users running point-152 globally represent 50 percent of all the users. More importantly for the other half of the world, about 25 to 30 percent of all supernodes were affected, too, whose role is establish connections, among others.

So... up to 30 percent of supernodes are down worldwide. The other 70 percent were taking on the increased load. The crashed Windows clients were by and large being restarted simultaneously by affected users. All this happened just before the usual daily peak hours and during the holiday season. It's almost a comedy of errors, were it not impossible at the time to call someone and share in the laughter. For its part, Skype goes into detail over how it fixed the current situation and how it plans to be better equipped to handle any future duress. It's a pretty interesting read, we suggest you set some time aside and check it out.

HP Palm Broadway, Manta and Topaz name-dropped in casting call

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 07:02 AM PST

All the pieces, they're a-comin' together. If you'll recall, we spotted a smattering of HP Palm codenames in webOS 2.0 code early last month, and now, those very names are popping up elsewhere. Over at DirectCast, a couple of casting calls have emerged for HP Palm, with both of 'em seeking young, carefree hipsters with lovely hands. They're willing to pay a solid grand if you fit the profile, presumably to hold one of these impending devices on camera for some sort of advertisement. A PreCentral reader actually signed up, and then received some even more interesting information -- he was informed that the shoot will involve the HP Palm Broadway, Manta and Topaz. The Broadway was indeed one of the devices spotted in the aforementioned code, and while Manta wasn't there, "Mantaray" was. Topaz, of course, looks to be Palm's forthcoming tablet. This is all just expanded speculation for now, but if you were holding out hope for new HP Palm products, feel free to let your imagination run wild.

HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 06:27 AM PST

It's highly improbable that you actually need yet another option when looking for a watch band to house your iPod nano 6G, but if that first-run version you sprung for is already in tatters, HEX has a little something worth considering. The company has just started shipping its HEX Watch Band in the US of A, with $29.95 netting you a soft, flexible band that requires no complicated plug-and-play action whatsoever. Just pop your nano into the face, strap it on your arm, and roll. It's designed to be remarkably rugged (as seen in a torture video just past the break), and the headphone socket is arranged in a way that nicely runs the cable up your arm towards your cranium. The only problem? Choosing which of the nine hues fits your personality best.
HEX iPod nano 6G watch band
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HEX Watch Band for iPod nano® Gen 6 Now Available

Turn the iPod nano® into a stylish and protective watch

Oxnard, CA – December 29, 2010 – HEX, the leading designer and manufacturer of fashionable tech accessories, is excited to announce the availability of the new HEX Watch Band for iPod nano® Gen 6. Available in 9 fun colors, the HEX Watch Band allows users to protect the iPod nano® while sporting it as a stylish accessory.

The HEX Watch Band features a "Pop-in, Pop-out" design which allows for easy placement of the iPod nano®. With premium silicone and integrated control buttons, the Watch Band provides maximum protection and full access to all controls on the iPod nano®.
Additionally, the inline orientation of the Watch Band allows headphone cords to run straight up the user's arm or discretely through a sleeve keeping the cords from tangling or getting in the way while on the go.

The HEX Watch Band is available now in 9 fun colors including red, pink, orange, green, blue, clear, black, grey and white, for $29.95 at www.shopHEX.com.

See more video at our hub!

SurfCube gives Windows Phone 7 the 3D browser it needed so desperately

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 06:02 AM PST

If there's one thing the 90s taught us, it's that these silly 2D interfaces are only a passing fancy, and soon everything will be VRML-based mirror worlds of our physical space. SurfCube is a small, tentative step in that direction, turning the browser into a fake 3D experience of sorts, with favorites on "top," and history and settings on the "sides," while the front face of the cube is, naturally, the browser part. You can get around with swipes and flashy tilt gestures, and for $1.99 on the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace it's hard to go wrong. Just remember our VRML warning, and start investing in MicroVideoGoggles Inc. stock with your carphone once you get home from the record store.

Skype teases video recording and sharing 'as it happens,' inventing synonyms for 'video calls'

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 05:26 AM PST

It's hardly a secret anymore that Skype will be making some manner of video-related announcement at CES, but now the company's stepping up the hype offensive with a series of teasing videos and tweets. The common thread between the vids is that they're all shot in remote locations or on the move, eliminating the current PC / Mac dependency for video chat and forcing our minds to consider mobile, perhaps smartphone-shaped, devices instead. What Skype's promising is that we'll be able to share our favorite moments "as they happen," which together with all this video recording stuff seems to point to only one thing: video calling on mobiles. Only mystery left now is which platforms will get it when.

Researchers eavesdrop on encrypted GSM call: all you need is a $15 phone and 180 seconds

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 05:17 AM PST

It's hardly a fresh idea -- researchers have claimed that GSM calls could be cracked and listened in on for years. But there's a difference between being able to do something with a $50,000 machine and a warrant, and being able to do the same thing with a few $15 Motorola phones, a laptop, open source software and 180 seconds of spare time. Security Research Labs researcher Karsten Nohl and OsmocomBB project programmer Sylvain Munaut recently spoke about a new GSM hack at the Chaos Computer Club Congress in Berlin, and they were able to walk the audience through the eavesdropping process in a matter of minutes. According to them, it's not terribly difficult to use a $15 handset to "sniff out" location data used to correctly route calls and texts, and once you've nailed that down, you could use modified firmware to feed raw data into a laptop for decryption. Using a 2TB table of precomputed encryption keys, a cracking program was able to break in within 20 seconds -- after that, you're just moments away from recording a live GSM call between two phones. Of course, speeches like these are made to encourage security officials to beef up the layers between you and ill-willed individuals, but it's hard to say what (if anything) will change. For now, we'd recommend just flying to each and every person you'd like to speak with. Unless you live in the Greater New York area -- you're probably better off risking a hacked conversation than heading out to LGA / JFK / EWR.

iPhone-controlled beer cannon is the robot friend of our dreams (video)

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 04:48 AM PST

If your morning's been running low on a little thing called awesomeness, hurry past the break and gorge yourself on the stuff in the embedded videos. For the more patient among you, we'll set the scene. A young chap by the name of Ryan has repurposed an old mini-fridge from his college days into a beer-firing drone, which can accept instructions on beer brand, temperature, and destination, before launching it at the target with a force of 50psi. An embedded webcam assists the iPhone user in aiming the throws, while it's also said to record every toss and tweet it out for posterity as well. If this thing could slice bread, we'd probably offer to marry it.



HTC EVO Shift 4G headed for a January 9th launch at $150, according to RadioShack leak

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 04:10 AM PST

HTC's worst kept secret (this side of the Thunderbolt) has popped up online again, this time as part of some RadioShack promo materials, which list its price, launch date, 4G capabilities, and screen size. Earlier indications had this Android slider launching on January 9th at a $150 price point with a two-year contract and now, lo and behold, both data points seem to have been confirmed. $450 is the price for the EVO Shift 4G sans any carrier obligations, though you'll probably want to stick with Sprint to make use of that WiMAX radio contained within. Bring on 2011 already!

VerbalVictor app gives voice to disabled

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 03:43 AM PST

With iTunes overrun with apps that do little more than find creative ways to promote products or otherwise suck time, it's nice to see mobile technology doing something that's, well, not so trivial. VerbalVictor, a $10 program, which should be available in the App Store next week, uses iPhone and iPad touch screens to allow people with disabilities to communicate with the outside world. Paul Pauca -- whose son suffers from Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes delays in cognitive development, motor skills, and verbal communication -- developed the app as an affordable alternative to non-verbal communication devices. It touts functionality similar to the device used by Steven Hawking, but is far more accessible than the professor's $8,200 setup. VerbalVictor allows parents and caregivers to take pictures and record accompanying audio; the entries are then turned into buttons, which the user presses when they want to communicate -- sort of like a very advanced and customizable See N' Say. The device can be used for simple expressions, like an image of a dog that speaks "dog" when pressed, or for recording commonly used phrases and complete sentences. It may never reach the popularity of, say iFart, but it's sure to win some dedicated users.

LG's LW6500 Cinema 3D TV is certified flicker-free, launching at CES

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 03:06 AM PST

Oh LG, you infernal tease. Instead of politely revealing its full set of plans for CES 2011, the Korean company keeps gently peeling away the layers of ignorance, with today marking its pre-announcement of a new Cinema 3D TV set. The LW6500 opts for passive 3D glasses, in place of the currently popular active shutter goggles, which has garnered it a couple of industry certifications to say that its 3D is guaranteed, definitely, totally flicker-free. Aside from that, you get a neat brightness booster to ensure that switching on the third dimension doesn't dim the picture unduly, while the rest of the specs and extras on this 200Hz panel seem mostly unremarkable. We'll be casting our eyeballs over it at CES next week, which will be followed, we're told, by a rollout in select markets shortly thereafter.

MSI reveals mad Sandy Bridge motherboard with eight PCIe slots, eight USB 3.0 ports, and three BIOS chips

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 02:26 AM PST

Straighten up and salute the Big Bang Marshal, MSI's attempt at redefining the term "overkill." This XL-ATX board packs a total of eight PCI Express lanes (though it only has the bandwidth to simultaneously feed four x16s or eight x8s -- relevant if you're crazy enough to think about using more than four GPUs), three separate BIOS chips, extra 8-pin and 6-pin 12V power intakes, and a thoroughly excessive set of power regulation components. The less extremely minded among you will appreciate having a full array of eight USB 3.0 ports on the back, though we can't get over the measly four DIMM slots on offer. Word is that features might change before the Marshal goes to market in the first quarter of next year, so let's hope more room for your RAM sticks is among the tweaks between now and then.

LVX System launches visible light communication in the US, finally

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 01:48 AM PST

Ever wonder what happened to LEDs as a WiFi alternative? Well, wonder no more, because visible light communication is here -- in the municipal offices of St. Cloud Minnesota, at least. Starting tomorrow, LVX System, a Minnesota start-up, is installing the first of a series of LED fixtures that will use flashing lights to connect office workers to the internet, while saving big on the electric bill. The fixtures also function as regular overhead lights, using 36 watts of energy where 100 watts were once necessary. The setup consists of clusters of LEDs that switch on and off thousands of times per second at intervals undetectable to the human eye. The flashes emit binary code data -- off equals zero and on equals one -- that is received by special patented modems. Lights on these modems then transmit data back to the fixtures, and voila, you've got internet. According to LVX, light-powered networks are far less crowded and far more secure than their predecessors. Unfortunately, LVX's current incarnation transmits data at about 3Mbps -- a mere pittance compared to standard WiFi or Ethernet. Then again, 3Mbps is certainly fast enough for a city employee to perform really important tasks like keeping track of their favorite gadget blog, so we'll take it.


[Thanks, Andrew]

Another Sony Ericsson Android leaked in China, successor to the X10 Mini Pro?

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 01:01 AM PST

Once again, here's proof that China is the place to be for piping-hot gadget leaks. The latest delivery is yet another mysterious Sony Ericsson handset, which is allegedly the Android 2.3 successor to the much loved X10 Mini Pro slider but with an X8 screen size. Despite its modest dimensions, this little gem packs a 1GHz chip with an Adreno 205 GPU, scoring an impressive 1,553 on the Quadrant benchmark app -- coming close to the Nexus S' score -- and 42.5fps on Neocore, as pictured on the 3-inch 320 x 480 multitouch LCD above. It sure sounds juicy, except for one thing: the buttons are in reverse order of the current Xperia layout. Very funny, Sony Ericsson, now just give us a date. One more shot after the break.

HP slashes Envy 13 price to $999 with $450 rebate

Posted: 29 Dec 2010 12:27 AM PST

First it was the Adamo, now it's the Envy. HP has joined Dell in deeply discounting its aging 13-inch ultrathin, though unlike its Round Rock competitor, it hasn't bothered to give it any spec bumps. Consequently, even with this interest-building $450 rebate, the Envy 13 loses out to the Adamo 13 in a straight spec fight -- a 1.6GHz CPU, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive are all either slower or smaller than Dell's offering -- but it does still have a pair of aces up its sleeve to get latecomers to part with their cash. Those include an external SuperMulti DVD rewriter and a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory. Sure, it's not much, but then neither is the new price.

Putin orders Russian federal agencies to switch to open source software, galavant topless in the out-of-doors

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 11:44 PM PST

Never one to pass up the opportunity to run a hunkitudinous (look it up!) picture of Vladimir Putin, we were thrilled to hear that the Russian Prime Minister and ex-KGB man has signed an order specifying that "federal executive bodies and agencies of the federal budget" should transition to open source software beginning in Q2 2011. That's right -- it looks like there is something, at least, to those recent rumors that the country was dissing Redmond and contemplating a national open source OS. There's a lot more to it that appears to be of little interest unless you're a member of the apparat, in which case you'll probably be reading this thing in the original in Russian soon enough. As for us, we're just curious to see how the new software will be used to bedevil dissident groups once Microsoft is out of the picture.

Fujifilm explains how its X100 hybrid viewfinder works, we nod and pretend to understand

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 10:47 PM PST

If you just tried to tell us the FinePix X100 was a bog standard digital camera, we'd still probably pay any price for those amazing retro looks, but Fujifilm has more in mind. Specifically, the X100 harbors an all-new viewfinder setup, that can switch between a full-on optical view (something that's currently impossible in similarly sized Micro Four Thirds cameras), and an electronic viewfinder. The optical mode also includes overlaid shooting data, which isn't typical for a straight compact viewfinder (since it's looking through its own lens, not the camera's main lens). You'll have to read Fujifilm's full-on explanation to really know what's going on here -- it gets a little technical -- but basically there's a half mirror prism that lets the mini LCD project info on top of the optical image that's coming through to your eye, but that half mirror prism becomes a straight up mirror when the viewfinder's front lens is blocked, allowing for a full electronic image of the actual image being captured by the lens to bounce to your eye. See? That wasn't so difficult. We don't know what we were so worried about.

BYD Motors to debut e6 Premier, S6DM plug-in vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 09:42 PM PST

China's BYD came out of nowhere in early 2009 to debut a MID / phone running Windows XP, but consumer electronics are just one arm (actually spun off) of the relatively young mega-corporation. Its BYD Motors division has also been working on various plug-in vehicles for the past few years, and it's now set to roll into the Detroit Auto Show next month with two new models. Those include the all-electric e6 Premier crossover, and the S6DM dual-mode plug-in hybrid SUV, the former of which promises a range of 300 kilometers and a top speed of 140km/h, while the latter can eek out 60 kilometers solely on electric power or close to 500 kilometers when the 2.0L gasoline engine comes into play. What's more, the company is apparently also promising a US launch announcement of some sort, although Autoblog Green suspects that will involve the earlier F3DM hybrid (pictured above), which has already begun testing in California, and the E6 electric crossover. Head on past the break for the full press release.
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BYD to Announce Green Vision at NAIAS on January 10th

BYD Co., Ltd (BYD) is to reveal plans for the launch of US-ready green-technology vehicles and products. BYD plans to present their "Three Green Dreams" Strategy at the upcoming 2011 North America International Auto Show (NAIAS) from January 10th to 23rd. BYD will showcase their "Green City Solutions", their green electric vehicle series, and a portfolio of eco-friendly products including: solar panels, home energy storage units and energy-saving LED Lighting. This is BYD's fourth consecutive appearance at the Detroit COBO Center for the Auto Show.

BYD's "Three Green Dreams" focuses on renewable energy generation, environmentally-friendly energy storage and efficient energy consumption, covering solar power, Iron-phosphate energy storage and electric vehicles. BYD will present their short and long term "Green City Solutions" which includes plans to help cities electrify all public transportation, and reduce air pollution and carbon emissions at a low cost.

BYD's pure-electric vehicle -- the e6 Premier (2012 Year Model) and the brand-new dual mode electric SUV -- the S6DM will make their world premieres on the main floor exhibit space at the COBO Center at the 2011 NAIAS. The World's first mass-produced F3DM sedan low-carbon version and the core drive technology of the pure-electric bus, shown at EVS25 recently, will also be showcased.

The new 5-seat crossover -- the BYD e6 Premier (2012 Year Model) has a more dynamic and sporty exterior design. Equipped with BYD Iron-phosphate "FE" battery, the e6 Premier has an expected range of 300km (or 186.4 miles) on urban roads, while its projected top speed is 140km/h (or 87 mph). It only takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6 on the 100kW fast charging cabinet and 6 hours to overnight-charge the e6 on the 10kW standard charging pole. These characteristics make the e6 ideal for daily commuters and in-town driving.

The core technology of the pure-electric K9 e-Bus is another BYD breakthrough in the field of electrified transportation. The specially designed in-wheel electric drive and the electronically-controlled air suspension allows this 12-meter-long e-Bus to have ample space and a low-floor for easy passenger loading and unloading. The K9 is able to run 250+ km (155+ miles) on a single charge.

The BYD S6DM SUV is the world's first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV. Traveling over 60km (38 miles) purely on electric power and over 310 miles extended range when engaging the environmentally friendly 2.0L gasoline engine, this SUV sports a 10kW electric motor (M1) paired with a smooth 6-speed dual-clutch transmission propelling the front wheels while a powerful 75kW electric motor (M2) powers the rear wheels.

The F3DM low-carbon version also features the BYD Fe battery together with a BYD 371QA 1.0-liter gasoline engine. This vehicle is equipped standard with a solar panel sunroof to parallel charge the Fe battery. Powered by the Fe battery pack alone, the F3DM can travel over 60km (38+ miles). The extended range HEV mode allows the car to achieve another 500 km (or 313 miles) with a maximum speed of 150km/h (about 93.2 mph).

About BYD

BYD is ranked #1 at the top of Bloomberg's and BusinessWeek's 2009 Tech 100 List and is the leading manufacturer of advanced, environmentally-friendly battery technologies like the BYD's Iron Phosphate battery. BYD's solar panels and LED Lighting systems have TUV/CE and UL listings, and the company enjoys rapid growth in consumer electronics space and automobile manufacturing under its BYD brand. With investments from Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) and MidAmerican Energy Holdings, today, BYD is the fastest-growing Chinese automotive and green energy technology manufacturer.

.MGX opens world's first store dedicated to 3D printed goods

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 08:48 PM PST

Is your Matter Compiler broken? Well, step on down to the local .MGX for all your 3D printed needs! Materialise's .MGX brand has just opened its very own flagship store in Brussels, and it professes to be the first physical store solely dedicated to 3D printed wares. It's primarily high design baubles right now, but we're sure it won't be long before we're chucking our old and busted cutlery into the deke bin and churning out new sets with our at-home M.C. we bought at Target. Right, Neal?

Motorola Cliq 2 pictures hit the outside world?

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 07:11 PM PST

What, you didn't forget about the Cliq series, did you? The followup to Motorola and T-Mobile's slider's been long rumored -- we heard a few morsels of information back in September -- and now CellPhoneSignal has a few pics of what it claims is the Begonia, aka Cliq 2 (for T-Mobile, naturally). The keyboard here is, well, interesting, to say the least, and there's also apparently a five megapixel camera on the back. We're not really sure how our thumbs feel about the layout, but if this is legit, we'd reckon they'll get to try it out themselves sooner or later. That's what giant gadget trade shows are for, right? Right. More pictures via the source link.

Thimble concept translates real-world input into real-time Braille (video)

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 06:32 PM PST

From the great tomorrowland of concept videos comes yet another potentially life-changing product: a thimble (looks more like a one-finger glove to us) that takes ambient input and relays it in via an electro-tactile grid to the wearer's finger in Braille. It gets text input from an embedded camera, like in the picture above, or pulls RSS feeds, books, or presumably any other text via a Bluetooth-paired smartphone. We are, of course, addicted to the flow of info our mobile devices feed us throughout the day, and this little guy seems like the perfect tool to bring that flow more easily to the visually impaired. Now, venture capitalists, work your magic -- we'll be expecting to see this thing on shelves just in time for holidays season 2012. Video after the jump.

EngKey telepresence robot teaches English to Koreans by way of the Philippines

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 06:03 PM PST

You know, for all the hubbub we've been hearing about le robots (the robots), you'd think we'd see them put to better uses than chasing our pets and killing people. Right? Right. Well, the best use we can think of is education, and that's exactly what they're doing at an elementary school in Daegu, South Korea. Developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST), EngKey is just under three-and-a-half feet high, features a video display for a face, and seems hell bent on taking all those "teach English in Korea" jobs away from shiftless American college grads looking to postpone responsibility for one or two more desperate years. There are currently twenty-nine such devices, which -- get this -- are actually operated remotely by teachers in the Philippines. Is this the end result of globalism? Not quite yet: for the time being, the robots are still too cumbersome to operate and expensive to justify putting into production. But who knows? Maybe someday, kids.

Thermaltake's Max 5G dual-fan USB 3.0 HDD enclosure cools your platters with style

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 05:25 PM PST

We know what you were thinking: my external hard drive enclosure is nice and all, but why is it so quiet? Well, Thermaltake is here to fix that with its new Max 5G dual-fan enclosure. Outside the fans and the fancy LED lights (which can be switched off, if you're feeling unextreme one particular morning), the enclosure is pretty great itself, with a smokin' USB 3.0 plug and support for high-end 3.5-inch SATA 3.0 drives. The fans are to promote long life on your hard drive and "data integrity" and all that, but pretty much they just say to your SATA drive: "I care." And isn't that all that matters? The enclosure is available for pre-order right now for $52, no word on release.

Robot Safety Center opens up in Japan, Crash Test Dummies still an unfortunate name for a band (video)

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 04:58 PM PST

The fair city of Tsukuba, which (as you know) is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, has recently become home to the new Robot Safety Center. A collaboration between a number of organizations including Japan's Automobile Research Institute (JARI), the center has areas for testing various robots and exoskeletons for things like obstacle detection, electronic jamming resistance, durability, and more. As well as developing safety standards for the devices, it is hoped that within the next five years it will provide certification services for new robots as they become commercially available. Some eighteen tests have been installed at the facility thus far, and we must say that it looks like fun! See some examples after the break.

DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video)

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 04:27 PM PST

As you may be aware, you can build a pinhole camera out of just about anything and, as we've seen, you can build just about anything with Lego Mindstorms -- so it makes sense the two should finally meet, right? Thanks to DIY-er Basil Shikin, they now have. He didn't just settle for a simple pinhole camera, though -- he created a fully automatic camera that's able to wind the film and control the shutter (and look good while doing so). Head on past the break to check it out in action, and hit up the link below for the complete details to build your own.

Samsung unveils i-Functional NX11 mirrorless camera, WB700 with 24x zoom (update: pictures)

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

Just when you thought it'd be a week devoid of notable announcements -- what, with CES less than a week away -- along comes Samsung with two new cameras. The first one is an upgrade to the mirrorless NX10, naturally called the NX11, that boasts a change in grip design and compatibility with the i-Function lens found on the NX100. The other nitty-gritty details for the 14.6 megapixel shooter: a 3-inch AMOLED LCD screen, VGA viewfinder, 720p 30fps HD recording, and an APS-C sensor. Price and date? $649 with a bundled 18-55mm zoom lens, available in February.

In smaller news -- volumetrically, at least -- the 16 megapixel Samsung WB700 sports a 24x zoom (that's 18x optical and 1.3x smart zoom), a 24mm ultra-wide Schneider Kreuznach lens, CCD sensor, and 1080p HD video. You're gonna have to wait a little bit longer for that one -- April, to be more specific -- for a penny under $300. Press releases are after the break, and we'll get you the pictures as soon as Sammy sends 'em.

Update: We found the pictures!
Samsung unveils i-Functional NX11 mirrorless camera, WB700 with 24x zoom
Show full PR text
Samsung Launches the NX11:
the Latest NX System Camera and Lens Line Up
Create high quality images with the camera's easy-to-use i-Function lens

Ridgefield Park, New Jersey – December 28, 2010 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the NX11 - the latest addition to the highly successful NX family of cameras. The NX11 contains a feature set similar to Samsung's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the NX10, however the NX11 is also compatible with the new i-Function lens that was introduced for the NX100. The NX11 will come complete with an 18-55mm i-Function lens, as well as two new i-Function lenses, a 20mm pancake and a 20-50mm zoom silver color lens. The launch reinforces the company's commitment to leading innovation in the compact system camera market.

The i-Function lens puts the perfect picture at the fingertips of all photographers by providing an exceptionally easy way of controlling the camera. Since a typical camera user wraps their hand around the lens when holding the camera, the new i-Function system allows photographers to naturally use their left hand to change the camera's advanced settings via a button built into the i-Function lens, without needing to take the camera off the target. Users can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO quickly and easily by simply using the i-Function button or ring on the lens, meaning easier and quicker configurations while shooting.

The NX11 also focuses on usability, with a change in the grip design to make shooting easier and more comfortable for users. Additionally, the NX11 has a lens priority mode dial, simplifying the search for the best mode for each lens. The camera also includes a convenient, one-touch i-Function button that activates common shooting controls like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, meaning easier and quicker configuration while shooting. The camera makes taking great landscape scenes or pictures of large groups simple by featuring a panorama mode, which allows the user to take panoramic pictures in one press-and-sweep motion. As with the NX10, the NX11 uses the best-in-class APS-C sensor for better image quality. The APS-C sensor is larger than Micro 4/3 and delivers high quality images with ease.

"Today's launch is important for Samsung in reinforcing our position as a leading innovator in the digital camera market and for showing our innovation in the compact system camera market," said Mr. Hyunho Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "The NX11, while offering the best features of the NX10, has an upgraded design and the additional i-Function capability with more lenses. The launch of our next offering in the NX range also demonstrates our commitment to our customers, by producing user driven innovation in the form of easy-to-use functions and upgraded customization."

Alongside the built-in flash and built-in electronic VGA (640x480) viewfinder, the NX11 has a 3.0" AMOLED LCD screen. The AMOLED screen reduces the glare from sunlight so that consumers can see their images under any lighting conditions. The user can also get a more vivid, clearer image through enhanced color reproduction. The NX11 provides high quality video with 720p HD recording, and its large APS-C sensor allows the videos to be recorded with shallow depth of field, providing effects similar to those in motion picture movies.

Specifications Sheet
*Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.
NX11
Image Sensor 23.4×15.6mm
CMOS
Approx. 14.6 Megapixels
Lens Samsung NX Mount
Samsung Lenses for Samsung NX Mount
Image Stabilization Lens Shift (depends on Lens)
Dimensions and weight 123 x 87 x 39.8mm (excluding the projecting part)
353g (without battery and card)
Additional features • Super sonic drive
• 3.0" AMOLED
• EVF VGA (640x480) 921k dots equiv.
• Multi : Normal 15points, Close Up 35points
• Face Detection : Max. 10faces
• Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter
• Metering : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
• TTL Auto Pop-up flash
• Smart Flash, Auto, Auto + Red-eye reduction,
• 28mm wide-angle coverage (Equivalent to 35mm)
• Samsung External Flash available (SEF-42A, SEF-20A, SEF15A : Optional)
• Hot Shoe
• Smart Auto, Lens Priority, Program, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual, Sound Picture, Panorama, Scene, Movie
• Beauty shot, Children, Close Up, Text, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Night, Portrait, Landscape, Sports
• RAW : 14M (4592x3056)
• Super fine , Fine, Normal
• High Definition Movie Recording with MP4 (H.264)
• Frame rate - 30fps
Price $649 (with bundle zoom lens)
Availability February

SAMSUNG 20-50mm Black, Silver
Category 　
Lens N
me SAMSUNG 20-50mm F3.5-5.6 ED Black/Silver
Focal Length 20 - 50mm (equivalent to 30.8-77mm in 35mm format)
Elements in Groups 9 elements in 8 groups (1 Aspherical lens, 1 Extra-low Dispersion len
)

ngle of View 70.2°- 31.4°
Aperture F3.5 - 5.6 (Min. F22), (Number of Blades : 7 , Circular Aperture Diaphragm)
Mount Type Samsung NX Mount
Optical Image Stabilizer No
Minimum Focus Distance 0.28m
Maximum Magnification Approx.0.22X
i Scene Beauty, Portrait, Children, Backlight, Landscape, Sunset, Dawn, Beach&Snow, Night
Lens Hood No
Filter Size 40.5mm
Max. Diameter x Length 64 x 39.8mm
Weight Approx. 119g (without hood)
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 40°C
Operating Humidity 5 ~ 85%
Special features i-Function
World's first under 40mm length


SAMSUNG 20mm Black, Silver
Category 　
Lens Name SAMSUNG 20mm F2.8 Black/Silver
Focal Length 30mm (equivalent to 30.8mm in 35mm format)
Elements in Groups 6 elements in 4 groups (1 Aspherical
lens
Angle of View 70.2°
Aperture F2.8 (Min. F22), (Number of Blades : 7 , Circular Aperture Diaphragm)
Mount Type Samsung NX Mount
Optical Image Stabilizer No
Minimum Focus Distance 0.17m
Maximum Magnification Approx. 0.18X
i Scene Night, Landscape, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Beach&Snow
Lens Hood No
Filter Size 43mm
Max. Diameter x Length 62.2 x 24.5mm
Weight Approx. 89g (without hood)
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 40°C
Operating Humidity 5 ~ 85%
Special features i-Function
Minimum focus distance (0.17m)

SAMSUNG 18-55mm i-Function
Lens Name SAMSUNG 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OIS i-Function
Focal Length 18 - 55mm (equivalent to 27.7-84.7mm in 35mm format)
Elements in Groups 12 elements in 9 groups (1 Aspherical lens)
Angle
f View 75.9°- 28.7°
Aperture F3.5 - 5.6 (Min. F22), (Number of Blades : 7 , Circular Aperture Diaphragm)
Mount Type Samsung NX Mount
Optical Image Stabilizer Yes
Minimum Focus Distance 0.28m
Maximum Magnification Approx. 0.22X
Lens Hood Included
Filter Size 58mm
Max. Diameter x Length 63 x 65.1mm
Weight Approx. 198g (without hood)
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 40°C
Operating Humidity 5 ~ 85%

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 174,000 people in 193 offices across 66 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Show full PR text
Samsung Zooms into the Future with the New WB700

The ultra-slim 24X zoom camera comes packed with features for the demanding photographer

Ridgefield Park, New Jersey – December 28, 2010 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, announced today the launch of the new WB700, the ultra-slim camera with an impressive 24X zoom function, capable of delivering superb quality images whether your subject is near or far.

The camera features a 24mm ultra-wide Schneider KREUZNACH® lens to capture the perfect wide shot, as well as an outstanding 24X zoom function, made up of an 18X optical zoom and 1.3X Smart Zoom. The WB700 delivers sharp images with incredible detail, thanks to the camera's 16 Megapixel (MP) CCD sensor. The WB700 is also equipped with full manual control and the ability to record full 1080p high definition video (H.264 format). The flexibility of the WB700's lens and zoom functions allows users to capture a broad landscape in the same 16MP detail as a bubbling brook in the distance.

"We understand that many of our customers come to us for the very best and most up-to-date technology available, which is why we have chosen to bring all our innovation together in the WB700 for both the advanced and novice photographer, giving a balance of professional quality imaging and the kind of usability anyone can master," said Mr. Hyunho Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "On top of the core excellence of the WB700's 16MP 24mm lens with OIS and Schneider KREUZNACH 18x super-zoom, we have added features that bring surprise and delight to the photography experience, such as our new smart filters, the smart lens effect and zoom noise cancellation."

High quality and fun shooting
The successor to the successful WB600 and WB650 models, the WB700 includes Samsung's latest advances in HD video technology so users can capture high quality video footage, as well as still images. The WB700 also features Smart Filter 2.0 - artistic filters in modes such as 'soft focus', 'half-tone dot' and 'cinema' alongside traditional features such as 'fish-eye', 'miniature' and 'sketch', giving entertaining and professional finishes at the touch of a button.

Zoom Noise Reduction
Samsung has also introduced new innovation to remove zoom noise from video content. The WB700 uses an advanced noise reduction algorithm that actively cancels out the zoom noise, as the optical zoom slides backwards and forwards, giving you uninterrupted clear sound to complement your detailed High Definition movies.

Specification Sheet
WB700
Image Sensor 1/2.33″ (approx 7.76mm) CCD,
16 Megapixel, 14MP(effective)
Zoom Still Image mode : 1.0X ~ 5.0X
Play mode : 1.0X ~ 13.5X (depends on image size)
Still Image mode:
- Super resolution: 1.0X~1.5X after optical Zoom
- Extra Zoom: Crop Zoom 1.0X~2.0X (Extra Zoom on)
- Digital Zoom: 1.0X ~ 4.0X: Optical Zoom (X18) --> Super
Resolution (X1.5) --> Extra Zoom (X2) or Digital Zoom (X4)
Play mode : 1.0X ~ 12.5X (depends on image size)
Lens Schneider-KREUZNACH f = 4.06 ~ 73.08mm (35mm film equivalent : 24~432 mm)
Image Stabilization Dual OIS and DIS (Optical / Digital Image Stabilization)
Dimensions 99.5 x 59 x 21.7
Additional features • Full Manual Mode (A/S/M Support)
• Movie Recording button
• Support Raw file format
• Built in HDMI Type D with Anynet+ (CEC) + 20Pin Connector
• Flash Manual Adjustment(Timing, Light Quantity)
• Smart Auto (Still/Movie)
• Smart Filter 2.0
• Perfect Portrait System
• Built-in S/W (intellistudio) - supporting F/W Update
Pricing $299.99
Availability (est.) April

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 174,000 people in 193 offices across 66 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Sanwa trots out a multitouch mouse of its own, the MA-TOUCH1

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 03:31 PM PST

Not so fond of the Magic Mouse, are you? How's about a flattened version, sans Bluetooth? That's exactly what we're being presented with here, as Sanwa's MA-TOUCH1 looks like the lovechild of Apple's own multitouch critter and Logitech's M505. In truth, the only real design cue this guy snags from the Logi is its Unifying Receiver, signifying that it relies on wireless USB rather than BT. The design scheme is definitely of interest -- rather than being curved to fit the shape of a relaxed palm, it's totally flat up top, supporting four-direction scrolling and two-finger swipes. She's on sale now in four different colors (red, white, black and silver), with ¥4,300 ($52) standing between you and something you may or may not ever actually use to control your cursor.

Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2... fight!

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 03:01 PM PST

Two portable speakers clamber into the ring, each boasting big, beautiful sound for their diminutive size. Both cost $200. Both have the same technology inside. The Jawbone Jambox and the Soundmatters foxL v2 with Bluetooth each want to be your wireless audio wunderkind, blasting music and taking Bluetooth calls. At best, you're only going to buy one. Which speaker should you choose? Following our Jambox review, we got our hands on a foxL and put the two head to head, and after the break you'll see which one came out on top -- both literally and figuratively.
Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2... fight!

Staring at the outside of both speaker shells, it's a little hard to believe that they're practically the same -- the Jambox appears to be a solid pastel brick of colored rubber and metal, while the foxL, covered in glossy black , is obviously a speaker. Peel back the Jambox's stainless steel grille, however, and take a close look at the drivers inside, and you can see both they and the "BassBattery" not only look like those in the foxL, they're the exact same size and placed in precisely the same spots too. In fact, putting the units side by side, it's not hard to imagine a foxL completely fitting inside a Jambox case, although Jawbone claims to have stiffened the internals somewhat with a glass-infused polycarbonate frame.

The main visible differences between the two are the placement of ports and buttons, and how they rest on a surface -- where the Jambox stands straight up on a solid rubber base, the foxL only has a pair of small rubber feet and a pop-out stand for balance, both of which angle it about twenty degrees upward. The foxL's slender base makes it a bit more pocketable, but not nearly as stable blasting tunes, as the unit tends to noisily shuffle around on top of hard surfaces during use. (Soundmatters actually includes a tiny foam mat for this very reason.) In terms of build quality, the foxL's mesh grille and metal frame are stiff, while the Jambox's tend to slightly give, though both felt equally durable -- the only exception is the foxL's stand, which appears to be cheap plastic. It's probably worth mentioning that the foxL's glossy surfaces make for quite the fingerprint magnet, too.

Whereas Jawbone makes the controls as minimalist as possible, foxL's are kind of all over the place -- the power switch and volume buttons are on the back, there are charging and 3.5mm jacks on either side, and we actually had to consult the manual to find the context-sensitive Bluetooth button -- it's actually buried underneath that tiny LED in the front. Still, the extra jacks add flexibility to the foxL, as you can charge it from either a mini-USB cable or the included wall wart, and the second 3.5mm mini-jack can drive an external subwoofer if you happen to have one lying around. The foxL's even got a pair of slots for camera straps on either side, so you could theoretically hang it from your neck like a jam pumpin' gangsta chain. (No, we didn't test that out.) It's also nice to see that the foxL's screws are readily accessible -- if or when the Jambox's lithium-ion battery ever dies, you'll have to send it back to Jawbone for replacement, but it looks like you might be able to swap the foxL's battery out.

Of course, none of the above comparisons matter if the foxL can't hold its own when it comes to quality sound... but we were surprised to find that in most every test, the foxL came out on top. Though neither the Jambox nor the foxL do terribly well at maximum volume, introducing unwelcome distortion into our movies and tunes, the foxL v2 generated noticeably richer and fuller audio, and a wider soundscape too. With Jawbone's product, it always felt like our favorite artists were trapped in a box, their sound trying to escape, but the Soundmatters device reduces that feeling by providing a smidgen of stereo separation, and from better exposed speakers that get that sound out in the open. The foxL also produces a bit more bass at lower volumes, which adds some depth to tunes, but you can't turn it up quite as loud as the Jambox before the music gets too distorted to comfortably listen to.

If the foxL generally sounds better, than what did Jawbone actually add to the equation? Three things: Bluetooth know-how, updatable firmware... and a bit more battery life, too. The latter is the clearest win for the Jambox, as it lasted roughly 40 percent longer in our maximum drain test -- running at full blast, streaming Pandora over Bluetooth, the Jambox lasted five hours, while the foxL v2 managed only three and a half. The Jambox also has about five extra feet of Bluetooth range, as we could walk that much farther from our connected phone before audio became distorted. If you're looking for a portable speakerphone, though, the foxL's definitely a better one, as though Jawbone's NoiseAssassin noise-canceling algorithms were indeed far better at squelching unwanted sounds (completely muting a running faucet such that our caller couldn't tell it was there) it also had trouble picking up our voice unless it was directly in front of our face, while the foxL had no such trouble. With Soundmatters' unit, we were able to move about the room unhindered without raising our volume once, even as those listening to us through the Jambox continually begged us to speak up. Sound quality on our end was slightly improved with the foxL as well.

Wrap-up

To tell the truth, we're plenty pleased with the Jambox and foxL v2, and it's only in close comparison between the two that we were able to detect where one or the other came out on top -- both are potent, portable replacements for crappy in-built speakers, and honestly, neither makes for a terribly good speakerphone -- though the foxL definitely has a leg up. If you already bought one or the other, the grass really isn't greener enough on the other side of the hill to warrant another purchase, but if you've got $200 burning a hole in your pocket, the choice will depend entirely on who you're trying to impress. The Jambox has an unmistakable cool factor that makes it the life of the party, pumping out jams nonstop, but if you're playing for an audience with critically attuned ears, you can't beat the original.

HTC Thunderbolt with LTE for Verizon pictured ahead of CES unveiling?

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 02:35 PM PST

So, that lovely 4.3-inch LTE smartphone with Android for Verizon we've been calling the Mecha and the Droid Incredible HD? Looks like it might come to market as the Thunderbolt, so says Droid Life -- and we tend to put some weight on the rumor considering that they've just run twelve leaked shots of the thing. As you can see, this is clearly Verizon's head-on answer to the EVO 4G, featuring similar stylings and, in all likelihood, an LTE modem swapped in for the EVO's WiMAX one. Sure looks like that "controlled" leak from a few days back, doesn't it? More on this at Verizon's press conference next week, we presume.

Disney imagineering long lines out of theme parks with military-grade monitoring systems

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 02:16 PM PST

They've got a monorail system, IRL Muppets, and a house from the future, so we're not surprised that Disneyland is kicking its line-monitoring system into technological overdrive. Beneath Cinderella's iconic castle, a NORAD-style operation dedicated to eradicating downtime for visitors to the Magic Kingdom has sprung up, with a whole team tracking wait times, average number of rides ridden, and a whole bevy of other visitor-happiness metrics all over the park. From there, they can do things like re-route foot traffic to less-populated areas of the park with a mini-parade, adjust personnel at different attractions, or dispatch Jack Sparrow himself to liven up a Pirates line-waiter's afternoon. Chief Creative Executive Imagineer Bruce E. Vaughan dreams of "a day where there is memory built into these characters - they will know that they've seen you four or five times before and that your name is Bobby." Sounds delightfully frightening to us. But hey, it's all in the name of increasing visitor happiness, which we're sure goes hand in hand with visitor brokeness by the time they leave the park.

Porsche promises to unveil 'new model' in Detroit, could it be the 918 Spyder plug-in?

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 01:53 PM PST

Porsche promises to unveil 'new model' in Detroit, could it be the 918 Spyder plug-in?
Maybe this is wishful thinking and maybe we're optimists, but maybe, just maybe, Porsche could be ready to unveil to the world the final version of its supremely hot hybrid. We already know the company has given the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid a green light for a run down assembly lines, a legitimate supercar with a 700+ horsepower on tap despite achieving near 80mpg. But, we don't know the when nor the all-important how much. With Porsche promising to give "a new model its world debut" at the North American International Auto Show we can't help but hope that this is it. Want to be the first to find out? When the time comes you can watch the unveil yourself, live streamed at www.porsche.com/detroit.

Update: Marco wrote in to let us know the spoil-sports at Autobild are indicating this will be just the relatively plain 918, neither a spyder nor a hybrid. We'll just have to wait a few weeks to see.


Show full PR text
Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is starting 2011 with an important show debut in its largest market, the USA. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 10 to 23) Porsche will be giving a new model its world debut – and various other models their first showing in the USA. The premieres will be broadcast live on the Porsche website www.porsche.com/detroit as webcasts.

The show in the traditional venue of Detroit, nicknamed "Motor City", is regarded as a leading international marketplace and forum for trends and opinions that is particularly relevant for the North American market. Porsche has been experiencing rapidly growing demand among its US customers over the past few months, especially for the new Panamera car line and the new generation of the Cayenne sporty off-roader.

MSI Wind U270 netbook emerges with 1.6GHz AMD Zacate processor

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 01:30 PM PST

We weren't actually expecting to see any Zacate-based machines until CES 2011 kicked off in earnest, but it looks as if MSI is hoping to snag a little wind from the sails of its competitors. In a small Taipei-based event, the outfit quietly snuck out a machine that we can only assume will become official in the coming days -- the Wind U270 netbook is an 11.6-incher with a 1.6GHz Zacate processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and no optical drive to speak of. Other specs include a VGA output, two USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 socket, a Kensington lock port, 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet jack and an overly glossy 1366 x 768 resolution panel. Courtesy of Netbook News' hands-on, we've spotted a traditional chiclet keyboard, a split mouse button (huzzah!) and a trackpad that may very well not exist if it were any smaller. MSI wasn't about to spill any details on a ship date or price, but feel free to get yourself acquainted with the aesthetic in the video just past the break.

Cowon D3 Plenue PMP runs Android, looks like a phone, totally isn't

Posted: 28 Dec 2010 01:02 PM PST

Ever find yourself wanting a phone that, you know, couldn't make calls? Welcome to the Cowon D3 Plenue, an Android-having PMP that looks so good we want to press it to our cheeks and say "Hello." Sadly there'd be nobody there, nobody but up to 32GB of Britney, Katy, Mandy, and whoever else you'd like stored on microSD and played back over a 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED. That display isn't capable of doing your 1080p files justice, but the PMP itself is, and with HDMI output it can send that footage to an external panel. There's also WiFi, a T-DMB tuner, Bluetooth, and even an accelerometer. In case you're wondering it's Android 2.1 hiding behind that skin and, while Cowon promises "Apps," we're a little doubtful they'll be of the Market variety.
at 11:38 AM

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